They were picked up in a Toyota minivan, driven by a middle-aged driver in uniform. Xu Yan hesitated slightly upon seeing the car; Zhou Luming knew she had just experienced the bombing and might still be wary of cars.
"Xu Yan, I had the driver thoroughly check this car. There's nothing dangerous in it, so don't worry. The driver works for the Zhou Group. I'll be starting a new job at the Zhou Group in a few days, and this is the personal driver the group gave me."
Xu Yan knew about this. Since cooperating with Scarlett, Scarlett not only provided Xu Lang with the key address, but also whispered in Xu Lang's ear, promising to let Zhou Luming return to the Zhou Group as the heir of the Zhou family.
"Are you sure you're ready to go to the Zhou Group?" Xu Yan was still worried that Zhou Luming wouldn't be able to handle the complex situation at the Zhou Group, but if she could get into the Zhou Group, she would be one step closer to the truth. This was Xu Yan's ultimate goal in hiring her to take over the identity.
Everything was proceeding smoothly according to plan, and Xu Yan should have been happy, but he hesitated at this crucial moment.
Zhou Luming replied casually, "Of course I'm mentally prepared. Are you reluctant to let me take the risk?"
Xu Yan said in a deep voice, "The Zhou Group is like a tiger's den or a wolf's lair. Once you go in, you may not be able to get out unscathed."
“I took your money, so I have to finish this for you. The sooner I complete your request, the sooner I can put aside business and talk to you about personal matters.” Zhou Luming opened the door of the Toyota van, let Xu Yan get in first, and then got into the car and sat next to Xu Yan.
"Old Li, drive home."
The driver, named Lao Li, started the car and drove towards his destination.
Xu Yan sat upright, watching the scenery rushing past the window.
Besides the nearby bombing, she had another trauma related to cars—the car accident involving her parents. This accident caused immense harm to young Xu Yan, and for a time she could only hide in a corner with her head in her hands, refusing to let anyone near or touch her.
She has never been able to forget it; she often has nightmares, screams in the middle of the night, and is extremely sensitive and vulnerable. Having lost her beloved parents and left isolated and helpless abroad, she went from a happy child to an orphan without parents in an instant…
I happened to pass by and found that little girl was locked in the basement. Was she also an orphan?
Despite enduring hunger and being locked in a basement with no freedom, why was she still as strong as a blade of grass, even showing such a strong desire to live?
The hand resting to the side was covered by another pair of soft hands. Zhou Luming held Xu Yan's hand, intertwined their fingers, and smiled at her, "We'll be home soon. I promise you'll feel right at home and have a very warm and comfortable stay."
Xu Yan didn't have much of a desire for "feeling at home". From childhood to adulthood, she had always lived in spacious and luxurious places. She had her own room, and her parents also had a living room. Her earliest memory of living in the same room with her parents was when she was five years old. Since then, Xu Yan has always been alone in her own room.
Old Li's driving skills were steady and reliable, and they soon arrived at the old neighborhood where Zhou Luming lived. Zhou Luming jumped out of the car, reached out her hand to Xu Yan inside, and smiled sweetly, "Let me help you out of the car, Your Highness."
Xu Yan got off the car from the other side.
The helpers who came along had already carried the luggage to the door. Zhou Luming and Xu Yan went up to the sixth floor one after the other and found that the luggage they brought almost blocked the door.
Taking advantage of his better physical strength, Zhou Luming cleared the passageway before Xu Yan arrived and stood at the door to greet him.
"Come in and change into the slippers on your right. I'll show you around my house." Zhou Luming was inexplicably excited and happy.
Xu Yan didn't understand what was so exciting about visiting someone's place, but Zhou Luming eagerly grabbed her hand and led her into the house.
At this moment, Xu Yan noticed that the slippers Zhou Luming had prepared for her were also rabbit-shaped, but the ones at home were pink rabbits, while Zhou Luming had chosen blue rabbits. She then glanced at the pair Zhou Luming was wearing, which were indeed pink rabbits.
Xu Yan narrowed her eyes; she still preferred pink.
"This is the kitchen, this is the living room, and there's a huge balcony. Look, I planted some succulents, and thankfully they're all still alive. I was quite worried they'd wither and die. Then, to our left is the bathroom, to our right is the study, and this is the bedroom." Zhou Luming quickly finished introducing the layout of the house, then put his hands behind his back and stood obediently in front of the bedroom door, waiting for Xu Yan's evaluation.
Xu Yan had come to her house to help her pack. It was clear that her house had been renovated during this period. Although the outside of the house was old, the inside was brand new. It even had a study, balcony, living room and other partitions. Although it was not as good as Xu Yan's three-story villa, it was at least conveniently located and had everything you needed.
The desk and bookshelves in the study looked somewhat familiar, as did the large plasma TV and audio equipment in the living room…
Xu Yan suddenly realized something and found her toiletries in the bathroom outside, including the same brand of tissues.
Did Zhou Luming empty his house?
"By the way, we're on the top floor. I also booked the big platform across the street and tidied it up. When the weather is clear, we can have an outdoor barbecue, or watch a movie outdoors, count stars, and drink beer."
Zhou Luming envisioned the future.
But Xu Yan looked around, rubbed his temples, and finally managed to suppress his dissatisfaction with Zhou Luming's "robbery" behavior. Feeling a little tired, he wanted to find a place to rest. "There's only one bedroom? Where am I supposed to sleep?"
A sly glint flashed in Zhou Luming's eyes. "Sorry, my family only has one bedroom, and there aren't any extra beds available, so you'll have to share a bedroom with me."
Xu Yan stared at her suspiciously, "You've practically had all my things moved over here, and you only just realized you're missing a bed and haven't arranged a bedroom for me? Miss Zhou, don't take me for a fool."
Zhou Luming crossed his arms and leaned against the door, raising his chin and guiltily looking away. "How could I possibly treat you like a fool? Hehe—I really forgot about this. Otherwise, you can sleep in the room, and I can sleep on the sofa."
Xu Yan didn't want to get entangled with her any longer, so he pushed his suitcase to the bedroom.
The room contained a 1.8-meter double bed, a large wardrobe, and a separate bathroom. Xu Yan stared at her toothbrush and towel on the bathroom sink, stiffening slightly, but pretending not to notice, she opened her suitcase and began packing her belongings.
At this moment, I feel like I'm the one who's been led astray.
Chapter 66
===================
Xu Yan emerged from the misty bathroom, her wet hair wrapped in a clean towel, and was surprised to find Zhou Luming sitting in the bedroom.
Zhou Luming opened the drawer under the TV cabinet, took out the hair dryer, pulled out a chair in front of the vanity mirror in the bedroom, and patted it. "Sit down, I'll dry your hair."
Xu Yan: "I'll do it myself."
Zhou Luming tilted his head and said, "Your hand is probably still not very convenient, right?" He walked over, pulled Xu Yan away, and pressed her down on a chair. He took off his headscarf, pressed the power button on the hair dryer, and started blowing her hair.
Her touch was gentle; her slender fingers ran through Xu Yan's hair, lifting strands and drying them layer by layer. Xu Yan found herself enjoying this way of drying her hair. Perhaps Zhou Luming had worked at a hair salon before?
Zhou Luming saw Xu Yan's expression in the mirror and smiled faintly. "Don't think about it. It's a skill I learned while working as a makeup artist's assistant."
Xu Yan raised her right eyebrow. She had worked as a makeup artist's assistant...
Zhou Luming ran her fingertips across Xu Yan's scalp, shaking out strands of hair. She noticed that Xu Yan's hair was thick, straight, and sturdy, with a low hairline and no worries about hair loss. Xu Yan was now as docile as a kitten, sitting quietly and letting her knead and shape it as she pleased. Soft strands of hair passed through her fingers. The room was quiet and peaceful, just like a comfortable and carefree couple living together.
After drying Xu Yan's hair for a while longer, until it was half-dry and half-wet, Zhou Luming adjusted the hairdryer's temperature and continued to blow-dry it on cool air, jokingly asking, "President Xu, how done do you want your hair?"
Xu Yan: ...
Is she frying steak?
Looking up at her through the mirror, he earnestly instructed her, "After you join the Zhou Group tomorrow, if you encounter any trouble—I mean, whatever the trouble—you can come to me."
Zhou Luming: "I will definitely contact you as soon as possible."
Xu Yan thought for a moment and added, "Xu Lang currently controls the board of directors of the Zhou Group. You were brought in by him, so the other directors shouldn't make things too difficult for you out of respect for him."
"good."
“You’ve never run a company before, and they won’t really hand you over any real power positions in the group. They’ll just call you over as a mascot at best… After you get to the group’s headquarters, keep an eye on the actions of the senior management, especially the movements of those who have a say in finance. I’ll give you a list later.”
"Huh? We have to work overtime today?"
"You need to know at least a few important people."
The hairdryer stopped, and Zhou Luming's voice drew closer. "So—are we done with business now?"
Xu Yan: "Okay, I'm done."
"Then you—" Zhou Luming drawled, bending down and getting close to Xu Yan's right ear.
Xu Yan pursed her lips and clenched her hands on her knees.
"What do you want to eat tonight? I can order takeout, or get it from the shop downstairs."
Xu Yan breathed a sigh of relief. She remembered seeing a pan-fried bun shop downstairs when she came over; it seemed to be called Lao Liu's Pan-Fried Buns. "I want to eat pan-fried buns."
Zhou Luming pressed his phone, "I happen to have the boss's WeChat. His pan-fried buns are truly exceptional."
Xu Yan tried out the bed and found the mattress looked familiar. She lifted the covers and saw the mattress logo. "Is this my mattress?"
Zhou Luming raised an eyebrow and said, "I know you have a bad back, so I moved here from your house. But Xu Yan, shouldn't you remove the steel nails in your body? It's not good to leave them there forever, is it?"
"It only hurts occasionally, no need to take it out." Xu Yan tried out the mattress, which was specially placed on a custom-made tatami mat slightly higher than the ground. It was just the right firmness and very comfortable.
"Thank you," Xu Yan said, turning to Zhou Luming.
"You wouldn't be so stingy as to just express your gratitude verbally?" Zhou Luming tapped his lips.
Xu Yan clearly saw the hint, but pretended to be nonchalant and patted the pillow.
The doorbell rang, and Zhou Luming opened the door to get the pan-fried buns, only to find the owner standing at the door hesitantly as if he had something to say.
So Zhou Luming asked him, "Old Liu, is there something you need?"
Normally, the takeout orders in the neighborhood are delivered by the shop's helper, but today the owner, Lao Liu, came personally, which meant he had something to do.
Old Liu is a middle-aged man in his forties, a local from Shanghai. He married a woman from another place, and they run a snack business together. He has a buzz cut, fair skin, a slightly overweight figure, and a chubby, round face with several layers of flesh on his chin, making him look like a dough ball that has risen too much.
Old Liu chuckled sheepishly, scratched the back of his head, and said, "I heard you're a lawyer specializing in property division...?"
Zhou Luming fully understood what he meant. "You mean an estate administrator? But I am not an estate administrator. My friend Xu Yan is."
She glanced back at the bedroom door. Xu Yan was inside and should have heard everything, but she didn't respond, which meant she didn't want to pay attention.
Zhou Luming apologized and said, "But she is very busy and needs to make an appointment in advance. What exactly is it about? I can pass on the message for you."
Old Liu said, "Here's the thing, my husband wants to make a will, and I wonder if Miss Xu could help us take a look. We need to find someone to write the will and act as a witness."
Zhou Luming asked Lao Liu to write down his address and contact information and told him to go back and wait for news.
After closing the door, I found Xu Yan sitting properly at the dining table eating pan-fried buns. She was wearing the striped hospital gown she used as pajamas.
The more Zhou Luming looked at Xu Yan, the more he found her simple and adorable. Just as he was about to reach for the fried buns, Xu Yan tapped his chopsticks, saying, "Wash your hands before meals."
"Okay, I'll go right away."
After washing his hands, Zhou Luming sat down and, while drinking his salty soy milk with fried dough sticks floating on top, said, "Old Liu said his father wants to make a will. Do you have time to go and take a look?"
Xu Yan glanced at the address on the note. "I'll go tomorrow."
"Huh? You're acting strange. I thought you'd refuse something as simple as making a will."
Xu Yan wiped her mouth with a tissue. "I'm finished eating. You can clean up the dishes. Come to the study later."
Zhou Luming rested his chin on his hand and looked at her. "You haven't been staying in the hospital for too long and are getting bored because there are no cases, have you?"
Xu Yan paused, then stubbornly said, "No." Then she went to the study.
Zhou Luming quickly finished his dinner and went to the study, where he found that the walls were covered with photos of various people by Xu Yan.
"My God, in such a short time, what have you done to my study?" Zhou Luming exclaimed in shock.
The printer was running non-stop, and soon a stack of papers appeared. Xu Yan handed the papers, which were covered with dense text, to Zhou Luming. "Tonight, memorize their names, educational backgrounds, hobbies, resumes, job titles, and other basic information. We'll need them tomorrow."
He then took out a few more books from the bookshelf. "These books cover basic business management, financial reporting, investment and financial management, and human resource management. You need to finish reading them this week."
Xu Yan continued searching for books on the bookshelf, while Zhou Luming was already complaining incessantly. The documents she was carrying were almost overwhelming her; she felt sleepy just looking at the words, and she'd rather jump into the sea than look at so many books and documents.
"Xu Yan, do I have to read all of these?"
"Um."